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Tag: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

  • Alleged N3.5b fraud: Saraki’s aides re-arraigned

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday re-arraigned Senate President Bukola Saraki’s Deputy Chief of Staff Gbenga Makanjuola and two others before Justice Maureen Onyetenu of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    It accused the defendants of allegedly converting N3.5billion of N19billion London-Paris Club refund to states.

    The defendants were accused of conspiring to disguise the unlawful origin of N3.5billion paid into the account of Melrose General Services Limited.

    The company, along with its operations manager Obiora Amobi and a cashier in the Senate President’s Office Kolawole Shittu, were re-arraigned on an 11-count charge of money laundering.

    They were first arraigned before Justice Babs Kuewumi, but the judge was transferred to Sokoto Division.

    Justice Oyetenu was transferred from Osogbo, Osun State capital, to Lagos to replace him.

    While sitting in Osogbo Division, Justice Oyetenu made news when she sentenced a former lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Prof. Richard Iyiola Akindele, to two years imprisonment for demanding sex to pass one of his students, Monica Osagie.

    EFCC, which first arraigned Saraki’s aides last October 7, alleged that Melrose General Services and Robert Mbonu, said to be at large, between December 14, 2016 and last January “took control” of the money transferred from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) account to Melrose’s Access Bank account numbered 0005892453.

    Makanjuola was accused of making a cash payment of N50million to Mbonu on December 20, 2016 without going through a financial institution.

    EFCC said Melrose was paid N3.5billion by the NGF on December 14, 2016, and that it moved out about N2.2billion of the N3.5billion, the balance of which the commission had prayed the court to order its forfeiture.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    Justice Onyetenu allowed them to continue on the bail granted them by Justice Kuewumi and adjourned until May 20, 21 and 22 for trial.

  • EFCC arraigns four internet fraud suspects in Ibadan

    The Ibadan Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, on Wednesday, arraigned four suspected internet fraudsters before Justice P.I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court, Ibadan.

    The suspects – Adebimpe Babajide Quadri, Olajide Timileyin, Olubayo Oluwaseyi and Afolabi Wasiu were separately arraigned on their respective charges.

    Adebimpe was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on intent to defraud and obtaining by false pretense, while Olajide’s three-count charge borders on intent to defraud, obtaining by false pretense and possession of fake documents.

    Also, Olubayo (aka Rachel Micah) and Afolabi were arraigned on seven-count and eight-count charges respectively.

    Read Also: Man convicted of fraud by EFCC gets four months jail term

    A charge against Olubayo reads: “That you Olubayo Oluwaseyi (aka Rachel Micah) on or about 21st January, 2019, at Ibadan within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, knowingly sent pornographic and indecent pictures with your email (rachelerick20@gmail.com) through a computer system and network to one Erick C. Berge and thereby committed an offense  to section 24 (1) (a) and punishable under section 24 (1) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act 2015.”

    The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, and were given different dates for hearing of bail applications and trial.

    Olajide and Olubayo are expected in court on March 19 for bail application hearing, while their trial will commence on May 7, 2019.

    Adebimpe’s case was adjourned to April 15 for hearing of bail application and trial.

    For Afolabi, the next appointment is March 20.

    All the suspects are to remain in prison custody till their respective adjourned dates.

     

  • Witness’ absence stalls Akala, others’ hearing in N11.5b fraud suit

    The trial of the former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, and two others for alleged N11.5 billion fraud was on Wednesday adjourned to May 2, 2019 due to absence of the prosecution witness.

    The witness was to give evidence in support of the 11-count charge preferred against the accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Justice Olalekan Owolabi of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan, granted the EFCC’s request after its counsel, Dr. Ben Ubi, told the court that the second witness, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, who is also the current Head of Operations in the commission’s Port Harcourt zonal office, was unable to make it to the court.

    The former governor is standing trial alongside former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters during his tenure, Sen. Hosea Agboola, and an Ibadan-based businessman, Femi Babalola.

    The charge against them borders on conspiracy, awarding a contract without budgetary provision, obtaining by false pretence, acquiring property with money derived from an illegal act and concealing the ownership of such property, among others.

    Read Also: APC: we didn’t bribe Akala to support us

    Among the offences, according to the information on the court papers, was a road contract worth N8.5bn, which Alao-Akala allegedly awarded between 2007 and 2009 to Pentagon Engineering Services, Babalola’s company, without budgetary provision.

    The said contract was executed on behalf of the 33 local governments in the state.

    Also in the charge is the allegation that the former governor ordered the supply of drilling machines on behalf of the 33 local governments in the state to the tune of N3.5 billion.

    Apart from the allegation of conspiring with Agboola to withdraw N2.9 billion from the Oyo State Local Governments Joint Account, the anti-graft agency is equally prosecuting the former governor for allegedly illegally acquiring some property on Old Bodija Road, off Rotimi Williams Road, when he was in office.

    The offences were said to contravene Sections 22 (4) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act and 1 (18) of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act.

    The case was originally filed in 2011, and has witnessed series of adjournments due to the volume of evidences and witnesses prepared to reinforce the prosecution’s argument.

    Though, the court was to continue with the trial yesterday, it was not possible because the witness billed for cross-examination was not present.

    Dr. Ubi told the court that the witness was unable to attend the proceeding because he was involved in election duties.

    Counsel to the first and third defendants, Hakeem Afolabi (SAN) and his counterpart holding the brief of the second defendant, Richard Ogunwole (SAN), did not oppose the prosecution counsel.

    The judge adjourned the matter to May 2, 2019 for continuation of trial as he ordered the prosecution to make its witnesses available at the next date.

  • EFCC re-arraigns ex-Intercontinental Bank MD on money laundering

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday re-arraigned a  former Managing Director of the defunct Intercontinental Bank PLC, Erastus Akingbola in a Federal High Court in Lagos, for alleged Money Laundering charges.

    He is charged by the EFCC with amended 22 count charge bordering on the offence.

    He had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The prosecution had opened its case and its second witness, Mr Abdulraheem Jimoh is still been led in evidence.

    When the case was called on Wednesday, the prosecutor Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) informed the court of an amended charge filed by prosecution.

    He urged the court to accept the charge and cause the plea of the defendant to be taken afresh.

    Akingbola was re-arraigned on the charge written Further Amended Charge, and marked FHC/L/443C/2009.

    In the charge, he was alleged to have between November 2007 and July 2008, while being the MD of Intercontinental Bank, caused to be created a misleading appearance of active trading in the shares of the bank in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

    Read Also: EFCC arrests 24 for internet fraud, one for vote buying

    He was alleged to have been connected with the utilization of an aggregate sum of N179.4 billion of the bank’s fund, for the purchase of the bank’s shares, thereby inflating the rate of the bank’s shares on the NSE.

    He pleaded not guilty to the charges, on his re-arraignment, and after his plea was taken, trial continued.

    The witness an Investigator, who had earlier given evidence before the court, was cross examined by defence counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN).

    When asked by defence if he recalls that in his statement before an Ikeja High Court he had testified writing the statement at the EFCC office, the witness replied “I can’t recall”

    The Court has adjourned until March 14 for continuation of trial.

    In the charge, the defendant was also accused of converting an aggregate sum of 1.3 million dollars and 8.5 million dollars, which sum was taken from the bank’s GBP NOSTRO account at Deutsche Bank in London.

    The sum was said to have been remitted into the account of Fuglers Solicitors with the Royal Bank of Scotland in London, to purchase property in the name of Life Boat Settlement Trust, set up by the defendant.

    According to the prosecution, the defendant knew that the sums represented proceeds of crime which includes stealing.

    The offences contravene the provisions of sections 105(1) and 105(a), of the Investment and Securities Act, 2007.

    It also contravenes the provisions of sections 13 (1), 15(1)(a), and 28(3) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, Cap B3, Laws of the Federation 2004.

    The offence also contravene the provisions of sections 14(1) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2004

    NAN

     

  • EFCC arraigns man for alleged N3m theft

    The Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned Mr. Ibraheem Adesina Adeyemi on a one-count charge of stealing.

    The accused was brought before Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan.

    The charge preferred against the accused reads: “That you Ibraheem Adesina Adeyemi, male, in April 2016 or thereabout, in Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did convert to your personal use the sum of N3,000,000.00 (Three Million Naira only), property of Alhaji Kamoru Atilola, which he gave to you in trust for keep and thereby committed an offence.”

    Adeyemi pleaded not guilty.

    Read also: EFCC arraigns man for stealing

    EFCC counsel Sanusi Galadanchi prayed the court to fix a date to begin the trial.

    But the defence counsel, Bolarinwa Lawal, moved a bail application he had earlier filed on behalf of his client, asking that he be admitted to bail.

    Justice Akintola granted the defendant N2million bail and two sureties in the like sum.

    The sureties, he said, shall be resident within the court jurisdiction and shall present their tax clearance certificates for three years, which will be verified by the court.

    The case continues on April 15.

  • Terrorism: ABCON partners EFCC

    That Association of Bureau De Change of Nigeria, ABCON says the association’s recent collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will curb money laundering and terrorism.

    Disclosing this in an exclusive interview with The Nation, the President of ABCON, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe stated that this has become as members have now become pray to money launders.

    “The anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism laws are fast developing and taking shape and Bureau DE change is part of financial and the BDCs are the weakest link in the financial institution.

    “It is easier to come to them and to launder the proceeds. Having that scenario, it becomes very important to upgrade the knowledge of the BDCs and to sensitize them. We are not going to limit ourselves to only public sensitization, but shall hold workshops, and training by Nigerian Financial Intelligent Unit (NFIU), an arm of the EFCC”, says Gwadabe.

    According to him, part of the sensitisation is by creating awareness for our members to be able to easily detect a suspicious transaction, explaining that it must be reported to the EFCC.

    He stressed; “There is a lot of security report that people are bringing in illicit funds to cause havoc and to disrupt the peace of the country. Sometimes, these launders or money bags find it very easy to use these BDCs, because of the nature of Bureau DE change and its size.

    “So they prefer to use the BDCs because of the nature of some of the operators who do not keep records.”

    Gwadabe noted that there is always a distinction between the licensed Bureau De Change and the Un-licensed Bureau De Change, adding the unlicensed does not want to keep any form of records, as they often believe it is not necessary.

    “This is to sensitise and train BDCs on the activities of money launders, terrorism financing. We have integrated our portal with the CBN, FIRS, and EFCC, so that financial transections’ can be monitored and reported when a transaction is suspected to be illicit.

    “We send our cash transection report of any amount that is above $5million for individuals and $10million for companies in the cash transaction. Once the report is sent to our portal, the CBN and the EFCC gets alert, which will help to carry out the necessary investigations and to stop any of the transactions found to be illegal or to be financing terrorism.”

  • EFCC arrests Ogun APM candidate over vote buying

    Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), arrested a candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) for the Abeokuta South State Constituency 1, Mr. Sotayo Johnson, for allegedly luring voters with money during the governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Ogun state.

    Sotayo was alleged to have been going about the constituency while voting was still on-going, to buy votes before the operatives of the EFCC caught up with him and arrested him in Ward 7, Ijaye area of Abeokuta, with a polythene bag laden with one thousand naira notes.

    Witnesses alleged that the House of Assembly candidate stormed the ward with cash to induce voters to cast their votes for APM. The suspect was subsequently whisked away by the operatives to an undisclosed destination for questioning.

  • EFCC arrests Ogun APM Assembly candidate over alleged vote- buying

    Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)  arrested a candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) for the Abeokuta South State Constituency 1, Mr. Sotayo Johnson, for allegedly luring voters to cast their ballots for party during the governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Ogun state.
    Sotayo was  said to have been going about while election was going on, allegedly to buy votes but the Operatives of the EFCC caught and arrested him  in Ward 7, Ijaye area of Abeokuta with a polythene bag laden with one thousand naira notes.
    Witnesses alleged that the House of Assembly candidate,  stormed the ward with cash to induce voters to cast their votes for APM.
    The suspect was subsequently  whisked away by the Operatives to an undisclosed destination for questioning.

  • Supreme Court upholds FG’s seizure of ex-First Lady Patience Jonathan’s  $8.4m

    The Supreme Court has upheld the order of temporary forfeiture made by a Federal High Court in Lagos in respect of the $8.4million traced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

    In a judgment yesterday, a five-man panel of the court unanimously held that the appeal filed by Mrs. Jonathan, challenging the interim forfeiture, was without merit.

    In the lead judgment authored by Justice Kumai Akaahs, but read yesterday by Justice Ejembi Eko, the court said the Federal High Court was right to have ordered the temporary forfeiture of the money in view of the motion ex-parte filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The apex court upheld an earlied judgment of the Court of Appeal, Lagos, which equally upheld the temporary forfeiture.

    The Supreme Court ordered Mrs.Jonathan to go before the Federal High Court in Lagos to show cause, as earlier directed by the trial court, why the order for permanent forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government should not be made.

    Justices Musa Muhammad, John Okoro, Paul Galumje and Sidi Bage, who were members of the panel, agreed with the lead judgment.

    The EFCC had, in 2018 went before the Federal High Court in Lagos with an ex-parte motion, brought under Section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act (AFFA) and prayed for interim forfeiture of $8,435,788.84 and other sums in various bank accounts linked to Mrs. Jonathan which it claimed were suspected proceeds of unlawful activities.

    In a ruling on April 20, 2018, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun granted the ex-parte motion and ordered the EFCC to publish the court’s order in any major national newspaper to enable the respondents or anyone interested in the funds to appear before the court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture of the said funds should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

    Mrs. Jonathan subsequently went before the Court of Appeal, Lagos, to challenge the competence of the ex parte motion, the validity of the order made by the Federal High Court and the constitutionality of Section 17 of AFFA, under which the motion was filed.

    The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal by Mrs. Jonathan for, among others, lacking in merit, a decision the ex-First Lady challenged at the Supreme Court.

    Lawyer to Mrs. Jonathan, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) had, while arguing the appeal, urged the Supreme Court to void Section 17 of AFFA, which he argued, violated the principles of fair hearing and presumption of innocence enshrined in the constitution.

    Adedipe equally argued that the ex parte motion, which the trial court granted, failed to disclose the alleged “unlawful activities,” the funds were said to have been derived from.

  • Alleged vote buying plot: EFCC arrests Imo Accountant-General over strange withdrawal of N1.05bn

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Enugu Zonal Office, has arrested the Acting Accountant-General of Imo State, Mr. Uzoho Casmir, on suspicion of laundering the sum of N1.050 billion.

    The cash was allegedly withdrawn in three tranches between Tuesday and Thursday.

    EFCC believes that the money was meant for vote buying.

    The suspect, who was arrested on Thursday, was in custody at press yesterday.

    The EFCC, it was also gathered, is probing whether the cash was mopped up on the orders of the governor of the state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

    An EFCC source said: “We have intelligence report that cash was withdrawn through a new generation bank for use by the state government.

    “Casmir’s arrest followed intelligence report that the state government intended to use the money for vote buying in favour of a particular candidate in Saturday’s gubernatorial election.”

    He said intelligence further revealed to the EFCC that Casmir withdrew the amount in three tranches between Tuesday and Thursday this week in the following order: N200 million on Tuesday, N500 million on Wednesday and N350 million on Thursday.

    The source claimed that the EFCC had taken pre-emptive steps to stop further withdrawal from the affected accounts.

    “We have blocked the traced accounts while the arrested Accountant General has been providing useful information to the Commission,” he said.

    Casmir, he said further, was before his appointment a Director of Finance in Okorocha’s government and was “in 2016 questioned over N2 billion bailout fund given to the state by the Federal Government for the payment of salary arrears of civil servants.”

    The Acting Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Tony Orilade, confirmed the arrest of the Imo State Accountant-General.

    Meanwhile, the EFCC, Benin Zonal Office, has arraigned Bishop Ginika Obi James, Kingsåey Ibe Francis, Amaka Janet Okafor, Lokwutor Tina and Praise Ochei, before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court Asaba, Delta State, on a six-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence.

    According to a statement by the Acting Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Tony Orilade, the defendants were alleged to have fraudulently obtained various sums of money from their victims under the pretence of investing the money in a phony ‘Gideon Foundation Project’.

    The statement said: “The defendants were also alleged to have promised to share 40 per cent dividend from the investment with his victims which turned out to be fake.

    “One of the count reads: ‘That you Ginika Obi James, Kingsåey Ibe Francis, Amaka Janet  Okafor, Lokwutor Tina and Praise Ochei, sometimes in May, 2018, in Agbor within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did with intent to defraud conspired with yourselves to commit an offence to wit: obtain money by false pretences and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section a (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related offences Act and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.’

    “The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read to them.

    “The prosecution counsel, Moses Arumemi, based on the plea entered by the defendants, prayed the court to fix a date for trial and to remand the defendants in prison custody.

    “However, counsel for defendants, Eli Elugwu, told the court that he has filed an application for bail and prayed the court to grant bail to the defendants, arguing that the offence was a bailabåe one.

    “After listening to the submissions of counsels, Justice Dimgba granted the defendants bail.

    “The first defendant, Bishop Ginika Obi, was granted bail in the sum of N500,000 and one surety in like sum, and that the surety must be a civil servant of not less than grade level 10.”

    “However, the four other defendants were granted bail in the sum of N200,000 and a surety in like sum. The surety must be a civil servant of not less than grade level 7.

    “Justice Dimgba adjourned the case till May 7, 2019 for commencement of trial and ordered that the defendants should be remanded in prison custody pending the perfection of their bail condition.”